


A Foolproof Plan

by DelBelle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-18 04:39:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7299928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DelBelle/pseuds/DelBelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Bloody hell! Who's Justin Bieber?" asked a frazzled Rose. The blond head of Scorpius Malfoy stood behind her, slightly covered by the electric blue curls on Rose's head. Yes; Electric blue. Lily wanted to faint.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Beginning of Sorts

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted on FanFiction, and has been untouched since 2014. So, finally this story shall be continued, if merely for my own enjoyment.

The thunder rumbled through the grounds, passing a struggling tree, a vast lake with a tentacle sticking out, and a tall goal post stretching into the air. Lightning illuminated the dark sky, and the flash of light made the boy waiting on the field even more irritable. He had clearly stated that Quidditch practice would start at 7 PM on the dot, and it was now 7:05. He ran a hand through his auburn hair, and couldn't help the shout that escaped his mouth,

"WHERE IS ROSE!?"

A young girl with fire-red hair and brown eyes walked out of the locker room, and laughed. She walked toward her brother, shaking her head sarcastically on the way. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She tried to conceal her smile, but couldn't quite manage the sympathetic tone she was aiming for as she said,

"It's okay, James. She's probably just at the library or studying in the common room. Relax; she'll be here soon."

James whipped around to look at her. He practically growled, "Quidditch before everything. She should know that!"

Lily rolled her eyes, muttered something under her breath, and walked toward the castle. James shouted after her, the veins on his neck throbbing. Lily threw back loftily, "I'm going to look for Rose, start practice without me!" James grumpily turned his back on her just as the rest of the Quidditch team walked out of the locker room. Among the group was James and Lily's brother, Albus. Although not part of the team (or the same house) he often stuck around practices to offer moral support. He also had the unofficial job of referee between James and Lily's many competitions. He glanced at Lily's retreating form, and then at James' disgruntled face. James noticed, but he only shook his head and Albus shrugged. Whatever had happened, he didn't want to be in the middle of it. He'd had enough of Lily and James' arguments to last a lifetime.

Inside the castle, Lily made her way through winding halls and tall staircases in search of her cousin. As was her nature, she was distracted along the way by conversations. She chatted with whoever came her way, and only as a second thought did she ask about Rose. It didn't matter much, since Rose was exactly where Lily had suspected; the library. She found Rose with her nose in a book, notebooks and paper scattered around her. She was sitting at a table by the window, and across from her sat a blonde, bored girl. Her hair was in her hand and she twirled it absentmindedly. Her eyes fell upon Lily, and they immediately brightened.

"Lily! My savior! You have arrived!" She exclaimed, earning her a sharp look from Rose. She did not like to be interrupted. She then turned to greet Lily, but gasped suddenly when she saw Lily clad in her Quidditch uniform.

"Oh Mother of Merlin! I'm dead, aren't I?" Rose then proceeded to slam her head on the table.

"Completely and utterly deceased, I'm afraid. Hey, Dom!" Lily smiled in the blonde's direction, and plopped herself down onto an empty chair. "What's cooking good-looking?"

Dom rolled her eyes, but nonetheless began a long-winded explanation of her day. "Well, when I went to breakfast this morning I discovered that my shirt's button had popped, so I had to go back up to the dorms and fetch a new shirt, and that made me late for class. Longbottom wasn't pleased with my lateness, and told me that I needed to make sure truancy did no become a habit, especially since my grades weren't 'up to par'. Of course, I replied in a sweet manner that I was working on that, and to prove it, I told him Rose was tutoring me every Thursday afternoon. He was skeptical, and said that he'd just have to check in on us during our study session today, so here I am, bored out of my wits and Longbottom hasn't even poked his head around here once."

Lily couldn't bring herself to sympathize with Dom, knowing that the first part of her story was likely fictitious. A shirt button could have been fixed easily with a simple charm. Besides, it was common knowledge that Dom hated Herbology. This wasn't the first time she had missed that class. Still, Lily nodded empathetically once Dom had finished her tale.

"So, should we head out? I left James pretty pissed back on the field…" Lily directed this at Rose, who had begun to pack, but got distracted by one of the books.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. I'm going." Rose replied, and continued to hastily pack her bag. She stood quickly, and waved goodbye to Dom as she and Lily headed out the door. Dom waved back, but seemed a little miffed at being left alone.

xxx

"Alright guys, as a consequence for the late arrivers, everyone has to run 10 laps around the field." Everyone moaned at James' announcement, already wet from the rain and sweat.

"Hey, be glad I'm feeling merciful and that's all you have to run. Now move people, move, move, move!''

James began to sprint along with his team members, all at different exhaustion levels. They couldn't say they were surprised, though. James always added extra laps at the end of each practice for whatever reason popped into his head. Either the chasers weren't connected enough, the seeker was letting his mind roam too much, or everyone was flying with a slight tilt to the right. They grew used to all the running, but that didn't mean they particularly enjoyed it. The only one who appreciated the challenge was Lily, who was eager to beat James as the first one to finish.

Lily and James had what some people called an unhealthy addiction to winning. Whatever obstacle put in their way, their minds were set on destroying it. Lily was the top student in 4th year, and James the top in 7th. Lily was the best Chaser the Gryffindor team had seen in years, and James was the best Beater. They both enjoyed success, and worked ridiculously hard to achieve it. That is why there was an unspoken rivalry between the eldest and youngest Potter. And there on that field, for the 30th time that year, Lily and James were head to head on the last lap of the set.

Lily could feel her calves ache, and though she was moments from collapsing, she couldn't let James win again. His breath came in trembling puffs, but he wasn't quitting anytime soon, and neither was Lily. Lily picked up speed in a burst of motivation, and edged a bit ahead of James. James wasn't about to let his kid sister beat him, not a chance. He willed himself too run faster, make his strides longer, his breath steadier, and then, it was over. They passed the locker room for the 10th time, and James was once again the first one done. Lily was just half a second behind him.

"I…hate…you!" Lily spluttered, her hands on her knees. James grinned down at her, though he was breathing hard himself.

"Better luck…next time…sis"

By then, the rest of the team had finished their laps as well. Rose tripped over her shoes and knocked over Jaime Wood, who was trying to catch her breath on the ground. They squeaked in pain, and Leo Wood laughed at them until he tripped over Rose's head himself. The rest of the team laughed between sharp intakes of breath.

"Okay team that was a great practice! We will definitely beat Ravenclaw on the first match of the season!" Those who could gave a cheerful hoot at James' words. They hadn't lost a single Quidditch match since James became captain in 5th year. He might overwork them, but he always led them towards victory. "Now, get your rest, and I'll see all of you at 6 pm sharp Monday afternoon! Especially Rose." James sent a somewhat playful glare at Rose, and with that everyone retreated to change.

Rose walked out of the locker room freshly showered and feeling great. The rain had finally stopped, and her homework for the next week was complete. Today, in Rose's opinion, was a great day to be alive. She hummed to herself, and was practically skipping when she bumped into someone just outside the locker room door. It was none other than Scorpius Malfoy, her cousin's best friend, and her own "arch enemy" according to her father. Rose immediately blushed, slightly embarrassed.

"Err, hullo Rose…" Scorpius smiled at her not unkindly. "Have you seen Albus by any chance?"

Rose cleared her throat before replying. "Hey, Scorpius…uh yeah, yeah Al is, um, in there. James and he are discussing something or other. I'm not actually sure, sorry. He'll be out in a bit…" Rose continued to stand there awkwardly, her hands in the back pocket of her jeans.

"oh, cool,cool,cool…so," Scorpius looked at her equally as awkward, remembering the last time he had seen Rose, over the summer at Al's house. It had been a family get-together at the Potter residence, and Scorpius had been invited by Albus, as usual. Rose and her family had been there as well, and Scorpius' presence deeply perturbed Ron, Rose's dad. Rose didn't see the big deal; Harry himself seemed to like Scorpius, despite his family name. Ron, however, didn't. After a few drinks, Ron began to talk a bit more than necessary, mainly about Scorpius.

"You jus' can't trust him, Rosie. He's Malfoy scum. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater," Ron had his arm slung over Rose's shoulders, and was speaking fervently. "His dad, Draco? He nearly killed us! Isn't that right, Harry? He almost killed Dumbledore, too! An' he was uh, uh rat to your mum here, this glorious piece of woman. Can you believe that?" Rose looked completely uncomfortable. She hated when her dad made a scene in public. She felt even worse because Scorpius was sitting right across her, and kept his gaze down.

"Ron," Hermione warned, trying to stop Ron before he said something even worse.

"I WILL NOT BE SILENCED, WOMAN! I SHALL BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK THE BLOODY TRUTH! THE MALFOYS ARE COMPLETE SHIT, AND THIS BOY RIGHT HERE SHALL AMOUNT TO NOTHING! HE'LL SPEND HIS LIFE LOCKED UP IN AZKABAN, OR DEAD! MARK MY WORDS!" Ron was standing by then, his finger pointed viciously in Scorpius' direction. Rose had her head in her hands, and Hermione looked positively murderous.

"RON!" She yelled, and thus commenced one of the worst arguments the pair had ever had. Afterwards, Rose apologized to Scorpius, along with the entire Potter family, and even Ron looked slightly ashamed of himself after being sobered up by Hermione. Still, Rose and Scorpius' already strained relationship became virtually nonexistent. This was the first time they had spoken since the incident.

"Nice weather we're having…" Rose replied, gesturing to the muddy field and dripping trees.

Scorpius raised one eyebrow, "You think so? It's very…wet. Not necessarily my cup of tea."

"Oh." Rose replied, feeling quite stupid. She wished Albus would hurry up already. "Well, I guess I should be going…there are things to do, and such."

Scorpius nodded, and Rose began to walk away. She was just starting to relax once more, when she tripped over a tree root. She heard what suspiciously sounded like laughter behind her. As she got up, the only thought running through her mind was that maybe her dad wasn't as wrong about Scorpius as she thought.


	2. Two Birds, One Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is brewing in Lily's mind.

"And Ravenclaw has possession of the ball once more; the score is 30-70 to Ravencla-Bloody Hell! Another foolish mistake made by Rose Weasley, allowing the Claws yet another goal. The game stands 30-80 to Ravenclaw. My hopes and dreams have plummeted, just like Gryffindor's chance at the cup!"  
James’ screams echoed throughout the dormitory, waking Fred, Leo, and Archie. He sat up, on the verge of tears. He took multiple deep breaths, clearing his head and remembering that it was just a dream. He had never lost a Quidditch game since he became captain. He would be fine. The game would be fine.  
"Dammit, James! Why in the name of Merlin's underpants do you have to have your bloody pre-game nightmares!? It is bloody 4 am, I am tired, and there is no one I hate more than you!" Leo threw his pillow at James' face, and brusquely covered his face in his blanket once more.  
James stifled a laugh; Leo always became extremely aggressive when tired. James couldn't blame him, however. He would have acted the same way. That was exactly why they were friends.  
Fred exchanged a glance with Archie, who shrugged and cuddled up next to his pillow. Fred was about to do the same when James motioned him forward. Fred knew what James wanted before he spoke the words.  
"What do you say we sneak into the kitchens, grab some food, and disturb the ungodly peace that surrounds us?"  
Fred grinned. "I thought you'd never ask"  
XX  
"JAMES! I HATE YOU, YOU…YOU…"  
James laughed, directing his words to the top of the staircase. "I what, Rose? Remember this next time you want to show up late to practice!" He turned and hi-fived Fred, who sat on the floor munching on a treacle tart. They guffawed as they heard the yelp of frustration coming from the girl's dormitories. By now, most of Gryffindor Tower was awake, and they had trailed down the stairs to see what James had done this morning. The answer came in Rose Weasley, who stomped down sporting bright pink skin that clashed horribly with her hair.  
"Don't worry Rosie Posie! It'll wear out in a day…or two…" Fred smiled kindly at her, only seeing the amusement in the situation.  
"Yeah Rose, at least now you actually look like your namesake."  
Rose took a deep breath, the calm before the storm. In a second, her wand was pointed directly at James, and her thought of 'Levicorpus' had him hanging from his ankles. Those watching snickered, while Fred hid behind the nearest couch. Rose threw him a sickly sweet smile.  
"Now Fred, if you want James here to be set free, you know exactly what you have to do."  
Fred gulped, but did nothing.  
"Don't give in, Fred! Don't do it! We never end a confrontation unless it's on our terms!" James yelled frantically, searching for a solution. He glanced around, and began to smirk. He knew exactly how to get out of this one.  
"Rose, even if Fred wanted to, he can't help you. Only I know how to get you back to normal." James smiled reassuringly at Rose, but there was a glint in his eyes she didn't quite like.  
Rose narrowed her eyes, and spoke through her teeth. "How do I know you aren't lying to me?"  
James snickered. "Well that's a chance you'll just have to take, darling cousin. I won't disappoint you, I promise."  
Rose looked at Fred who smiled unsurely back. He seemed rather confused about what was going on as well, and that perturbed Rose. Something was telling her that James was lying, but she didn't know what else to do. She took a few seconds to contemplate her next move, and there laid her error. In that time, James gave the signal to Fred, who quickly disarmed Rose. He then released James, who caught Rose's wand. They both ran towards the portrait hole, but before he escaped James turned back to yell,  
"Don't worry, cuzzo, it'll wear off soon! And if not, I'll give you this tip; Scorpius knows how to fix this little trick as well! Love ya!" He tossed Rose her wand back, and then he was gone. Rose stood in the middle of the common room, fuming. There was no time to try to fix this mess herself; class started in 30 minutes.  
She gulped, and climbed back up the stairs towards the dormitory to change. There were only a few Gryffindors left, and they had thankfully stopped staring at her. She braced herself for class, however, since she knew she was likely to meet more stares there. Her roommates glanced at her, and Teresa shot her a small smile, trying to sympathize. Rose smiled back stiffly, and dressed quickly. None of the girls had ever dealt with James' antics first hand, but they had always been there to witness the havoc he caused to others. His favorite targets were Lily and Rose, followed closely by Albus. They assumed that was how he relieved stress, due to his excellent grades and Quidditch reputation. He had to let it out somehow.  
Many times they let James be, at least Albus and Rose did. Often his pranks were funny anyway, so it was hard to stay angry. Lily on the other hand, never took being James' punching bag quite as well. They would begin screaming matches that lasted an eternity, and almost always ended with Lily in tears. James loved to poke the bear, however, so he would be back at it within hours of their quarrel. Right now, Rose sided with Lily more than ever. She had finally had enough, and wanted a taste of revenge.  
Really, it was only a matter of time. Just this week alone James had set her hair on fire, filled her shoes with never ending water, and magically stuck a whoopee cushion to her backside. All this because Rose arrived a few minutes late to practice two weeks ago. She had to beg James to remove the stupid whoopee cushion, and even then he waited until the end of the day to do it.  
Throughout her lessons, Rose plotted how to get back at James. She hardly cared about the stares, really, but she wanted to prove to James that enough was enough. She wasn't the twelve year old girl that allowed him to do as he pleased with her anymore. That was why as soon as the bell rang after her last class, she rushed to the one person she knew would help her.  
Lily was sitting beneath the tree next to the great lake when a vibrant pink blob approached her. She turned to Scorpius, who was beside her along with Albus, and raised one eyebrow. He looked at the looming figure, and snorted. James had put their little experiment to work, hadn't he?  
"Hullo Lily," Rose practically growled; her anger had been brewing since early morning. "I need your help."  
Lily sat up straight, brushing grass off her shirt. "Of course! I suspect James has something to do with this," she waved her finger around in Rose's general direction, "And you know I never back down when it comes to him."  
"Finally had enough, huh?" Scorpius smirked, looking Rose up and down. She glared darkly back, remembering all too clearly his laughter when she fell. It did not brighten her mood.  
"Yes, I certainly have. I'd watch out if I were you, Malfoy; I know all about the part you played in this." She eyed him venomously, but he just laughed.  
Albus rolled his eyes; Rose wasn't intimidating. Anyone with eyes could tell you that. "What do you want to do, anyway? You know he won't leave you alone, no matter what plan you've dreamed up." He said.  
Rose sat down in front of them, a determined glare in her eyes. "First, I want Malfoy here to turn me back to normal-James told me he could. Second, I want to make James pay. I-"  
Scorpius snorted. "Who says I'll help you, Weasley?" He emphasized her surname; Up until today, she had always addressed him as Scorpius. He thought they were above the stupid family name drama.  
He was satisfied to see a blush creep up her face as she spoke again. "Because, I'll make it up to you. I'll…I'll…I'll tutor you in Transfiguration!" Scorpius shook his head.  
"No can do. James takes care of that." He grinned at her. James' helped him in Transfiguration, he helped James in Potions. That's how they started to work on the potion that changed Rose's skin in the first place. James had been slipping it into her pumpkin juice for days.  
"Then I'll chaperone the Halloween Ball!"  
"Nah, I already got McLaggen to do that for me."  
"Pay for your ticket to the Halloween Ball!"  
"Rose, we're prefects; we get in for free."  
"Oh yeah…Then I'll take over your prefect duties for a month!"  
"Tempting…but no."  
Lily smacked Scorpius' shoulder. "Merlin's underpants! Just change her back!"  
"OW! Alright Lily pad, I'll do it for you." Scorpius ruffled Lily's hair, and rummaged inside his satchel. Albus snorted; Lily could always get Scorpius to do what she wanted.  
He faked a cough that sounded suspiciously like "whipped." There was a tinge of pink on Scorpius' neck as he turned back with a vial of violently purple liquid. Lily shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Scorpius' eye.  
"Here," he said." This should get you back to your usual, pale self."  
Rose glared at him, but drank the entire potion. "This actually tastes…good. Like grapes." She handed the empty bottle back to Scorpius, who tucked it into his pocket.  
Within seconds, the pink tint disappeared from Rose's fingertips. It receded up her arms and neck until there was only a hint of pink on her nose. That too vanished moments after. Rose sighed happily.  
Albus pouted slightly. "You know what, Rose? I think you actually looked better as a pygmy puff."  
Rose slapped him over the head as Lily and Scorpius burst into laughter.  
XX  
"So, what are we going to do about James?" Lily asked in a bored voice, lying upside down on Rose's bed. Rose busied herself cleaning the dorm, her hair slipping out of her messy braid.  
"I dunno; I thought you were the mastermind when it came to this kind of stuff."  
Lily rolled over on the bed. "Well yeah, but this was your idea to begin with."  
Rose sat down next to her, plucking her hair out of her face. "I know, but I suck at being…vengeful."  
Lily laughed. "Really, Rose? Don't pull that crap with me. You're the girl who made wasps follow Velma Willow in 3rd year simply because she called Hugo a 'stupid git.' And no one ever found out it was you."  
Rose smiled at the memory. There had been nothing more satisfying than hearing little Velma's constant whimpers through the halls. But that was years ago. She just wasn't the same girl anymore. She was completely and totally disciplined.  
Sort of.  
"Lils, I just don't have it in me anymore. Can't you think up something?" Rose did her best puppy eyes. Lily squished Rose's face with the palm of her hand, pushing her away as she laughed.  
"Rosie, you know perfectly well that all my efforts against James have been unsuccessful. He's a 7th year and in all this time I've never been able to get him! What makes you think that's changed?" There was a note of bitterness in Lily's voice.  
Rose smiled at her wickedly. "Well, this time you've got me. And, I bet you could ask Scorpius to help too. You'd have a man on the inside. Something tells me there's nothing Scorpius would deny you, Lily pad." Rose burst into a fit of giggles.  
Lily groaned. She had been trying to avoid the topic of Scorpius. She suspected he had some minor feelings for her, ever since she caught him and Al having a serious talk concerning her. It had been over the summer, after the family gathering. Scorpius had been worried that what Ron said could have affected the way Lily saw him. That was, of course, complete rubbish. Everyone in the Potter household had come to terms with Scorpius' past. They knew he was not at fault.  
"Dude, chill. No one here cares about what Uncle Ron said! He's always putting his foot in his mouth, just forget it." Al told Scorpius earnestly. Lily was behind the door, about to enter the kitchen and reassure Scorpius herself, when she heard her name.  
"But what about Lily!" Scorpius' replied. His voice made Lily uneasy.  
Albus had turned sharply to look at him. "What about her? She's my sister, Scorp. She won't care either." His voice was careful and guarded. He sounded remarkably like Harry when he spoke that way.  
"I…I know. I know. I'm just being silly." Scorpius looked down at his hands as he spoke.  
Albus stood facing Scorpius. "Listen, Scorp. I don't know what your newfound concern with Lily is about, but I do know this; she's my sister. You're my friend. And as my friend it would do you well not to mess with my sister. But hey, if she agrees with whatever you want to have with her, there's nothing I can do. As far as I know, she isn't interested, though. Just keep that in mind."  
Albus turned and walked out the kitchen. He bumped straight into Lily. She murmured a quick 'thanks' and walked away briskly.  
Since then Lily had been a bit apprehensive when it came to Scorpius. She saw him as an older brother; it was weird to ever think of him as anything more. He clearly didn't feel the same way.  
"Hello, Lily? Sorry about what I said about Scorpius. I didn't know it bugged you that much…"  
0Lily shook her head. "No, no, don't worry. He'll get over it." Or at least she hoped he would. That's when she had an idea.  
"I gotta go! We'll talk about this later, Rose. I'll ask Scorp, too! Bye!" With that Lily rushed out of the room, leaving a perplexed Rose behind. She headed straight to the Slytherin dungeons. Lily silently thanked Scorpius for telling her the password to the Slytherin Common room earlier as she stepped up to the portrait.  
"Severus Snape" she said, and walked in. Scorpius was sitting down next to the window, laughing with Benedict Nott and Penelope Parkinson. He looked up as she walked in, and she smiled and headed toward him. His eyebrows scrunched up,  
"Hey Lily…what are you doing here?" He asked quizzically.  
"I'm looking for Dom. Have you seen her?"  
"Yeah, she just went up to her dormitory. You know where it is, right?" Scorpius replied, looking slightly disappointed.  
"Yup. Thanks Scorp! I need to talk to you about something, too, but later…bye!" Lily waved goodbye to Scorpius, and climbed up the stairs to the 6th year Slytherin girl dormitories. She found Dom laying next to a pile of Witch Weekly.  
"Lily!" she squealed, happy to see her favorite cousin. Lily returned Dom's hug. "What's up?"  
Lily took a deep breath. "I need your help. I have a plan, but it's a bit…devious? And highly immoral, if I'm being honest. It involves trickery, lies, and a lot of sneaking around."  
Dom looked intrigued. "Is this about your Slithering Romeo?" Dom had taken to calling Scorpius that since she found out about his crush on Lily.  
"Yes. I think we should set him and Rose up." Lily rushed the last bit. Dom burst out laughing.  
"Really? You want Rose Weasley daughter of Ron Weasley to date Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco Malfoy? They hate each other! And I doubt Rose and Scorpius like each other much, either" Dom added skeptically.  
Lily rolled her eyes. "This is where you come in, duh. I know you can get them together; you've worked with impossible couples before. They don't have to like each other now, anyway. They'll just have to fall in love later. Think about it! I get Scorpius off my back, Rose gets a boyfriend, and James gets what he deserves!"  
"Hold up, how does James fit into all this?" Dom was beginning to worry about Lily's mental health.  
Lily looked at her impatiently. "Well, Rose wants revenge for James' prank this morning (he turned her skin pink) and she suggested we ask Scorpius for help. While they plan how to get back at James, we make sure they fall in love. BAM! It's foolproof, Dom! Absolutely foolproof!"  
Lily had gained the gleam in her eye that let everyone else know she was not backing down. It was too late to change her mind. She was breathing hard, her face had a severe blush, and her grin had become a bit scary. Dominique was left with no choice but to agree. Lily squealed in delight.  
"Great! I'll go ask the others! We're gonna need everyone's involvement if this is going to work. I'm so excited! OH! Dammit, I have to make sure Scorpius will help Rose with her revenge against James… See you later, lovely girl!" She kissed Dom on the cheek and skipped out of the dorm and down the stairs. Luckily, Scorpius was still where she had seen him last.  
"Scorp, I need you to do me a favor."


	3. A Plan Crafted By a Romantically Inexperienced 14-year-old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a long hiatus, I have returned to writing. Yes, these characters are back, and even if no one is interested anymore, I'm going to tell their story. Cheers!

"Yes, yes, Of course. I understand completely Professor. You see, it wasn't my intention to turn in this essay so late, what happened is-"  
Professor Longbottom sighed as he stared at his blonde student making yet again more excuses. Since he met her in first year, it was easy to tell Herbology and Dominique would be as oil and water. Ironically enough, he could relate. Potions used to be the bane of his existence while at Hogwarts, so he was no stranger to awful class experiences. He, unlike his Potions teacher, would be willing to help. He put his hands together and smiled at his student.  
"I'll tell you what Dominique. I'll accept this late essay-" Dominique began to praise his kind soul and make empty promises of reform, but Longbottom continued, undeterred. "However, and listen carefully Miss Weasley, for I don't do this often. From now on you must attend remedial Herbology lessons every Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, with your grades even if this essay is the greatest ever written your overall average is still too low for you to graduate. I'm going to help you, and with the work done in those extra classes you should at least not fail. But the second I see you fail to put in effort, this opportunity will vanish. Understood?”  
Dominique pouted, offended by his tone and the extra classes. She didn't object though, since after all, she knew he was being reasonable. He only meant to help her. Besides, word of her tantrum would reach home faster than she could reach the Slytherin common room, and it was best not to risk a howler from her mum. She was too busy dealing with Victorie and Teddy to be lenient on Dom. Instead Dom smiled widely, if albeit fakely, and said  
"Thank you so much Professor."  
Longbottom laughed at her expression. "That's the spirit. You're free to leave, Miss Weasley."  
Dom sighed and grabbed her bag, headed straight to The Great Hall. She was hungry and tired, having stayed up all night to write an essay due a month ago. As usual the burst of motivation came when least expected, 3 am to be exact, and left with all her energy. ‘If only I could be that motivated everyday,’ she thought wistfully, bumping straight into none other than Lysander Scammander. Clearly she wasn't the only one lost deep in thought.  
"Ow!" He exclaimed with all the dramatics of a Shakespearean actor. Dom rolled her eyes.  
"Oh, shut it Scammander, you bumped into me as well, and I didn't yell out. Now excuse me, I have dinner to go to." She readjusted her bag and continued on, a large turkey leg in her visible future.  
Lysander, however, had a different plan. " Oooh, sorry to inform you, but if you wanted dinner you should have showed up 30 minutes ago. Dinner is over."  
Dominique groaned. "You're kidding."  
"'Fraid not."  
Sighing yet again, Dom turned in direction of the kitchen, sure the house elves would be more than happy to provide her with food. Lysander laughed as she left, then continued on his way to wherever he was going , looking shadily from side to side. Noting the weirdness, Dom almost asked for the source, until her stomach growled for her attention. Priorities are important.  
After successfully finding food, Dom felt much better, and that burst of motivation seemed to return. She began to hum as she entered the Slytherin common room, but was met with a meeting unlike any she had seen before. Sat around a weird looking sheet of paper were Lily, Albus, Hugo, Roxanne, Scorpius, Louis, and Rose. None, with the exception of Scorpius and Al, who were in Slytherin.  
“Dom!” Lily exclaimed. “How lovely of you to finally join us!”  
Dom narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What's going on?"  
Lily smiled wickedly in response. "Revenge."  
XXX

 

It was dark. Very dark.  
No, Fred Weasley the second wasn’t ‘scared’ of the dark. He was scared of what lurked within the darkness. A little fear was to be expected from anyone, honestly speaking. He especially had a sensible reason to be scared. When he was six, Teddy had put a Boggart in his room, with the lights turned off. Somehow, (he suspected his dad had helped), he made the Boggart glow-in-the-dark. When little Fred skipped innocently into his room, his smile dissipated as a bunch of rabid, furry, giant, and glow-in-the-dark rabbits ran around screaming, “ I’LL EAT YOUR SOCK” over and over again. The mere thought of the traumatic experience sent shivers down his perfectly straight spine. Regardless, the One-eyed witch statue was rubbing him the wrong way.  
Being the only one in the meeting spot was a predicament he did not enjoy in the slightest. Why was everyone so late? It was already 7:45! What lazy arses…  
Suddenly, a tiny speck of light began to bob toward Fred from the corridor ahead. Slowly, a wand became visible and in the light it cast Fred distinguished the freckled face of Lily Potter. Fred mentally smacked himself. Why had he not used Lumos?  
Lily raised her eyebrows in surprise when she saw Fred. “Uh, hey Fred! What are you doing here so early?”  
“Early? Baby girl, you’re LATE!” He pointed dramatically to his watch.  
“It’s only 7:50…”  
“Only!? We were supposed to meet at 6!” He wailed, waving his arms over his head.  
Lily snorted. “Stupid git, we’re meeting at 8.”  
Fred took a deep breath and then exploded. “YOU MEAN I’VE BEEN WAITING HERE FOR OVER AN HOUR FOR NO BLOODY REASON? LILY! IT. WAS. DARK. AND I FORGOT TO USE MY BLOODY WAND!”  
He began to shake Lily in a frantic attempt to make her understand his dilemma. Meanwhile, she dissolved into a fit of giggles.  
“It’s not funny…” He whimpered.  
“It’s okay, Fred. You didn’t know. You’re fine!” Lily put her hand on his shoulders, attempting to console him but not quite managing to take the amusement out of her voice.  
Fred was not impressed and glowered in silence. They remained unspeaking as they waited for the others, Fred’s bad mood leaving a sour aftertaste in the air. Finally, James and Dom arrived. Lily let out a sigh of relief. She was beginning to feel really bored.  
“Why is it so quiet?” James asked.  
“Yeah, you look like you’ve just attended a funeral.” Dom agreed.  
Fred stared, embarrassed, at the wall as Lily explained his prior situation. They snorted out laughter, and Fred continued to scowl at nothing. Albus soon arrived, followed by Hugo who had a box filled with small bags inside.  
“I brought snacks!” Hugo sang, sitting against the wall with his box.  
Immediately his family swarmed, picking at the goodie bags filled with chocolate frogs, treacle tarts, black licorice, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, and other delicacies. As they munched on their newly found treasure, James glanced at the bags and let out a confused mumble.  
“Whyda buhgs sey ‘Roscorpus’ Unituhed?” He said through a mouthful of chocolate. When everyone clearly did not understand him, he repeated his question after swallowing the mess in his mouth.  
“Why do the bags say ‘Roscorpius’ United?”  
Hugo shrugged. “That’s the name our sponsors wanted us to have, and I complied.”  
Lily turned and stared at him. “Sponsors? Since when do we have sponsors? More importantly, why did you tell more people about this? There’s no way we’ll accomplish our mission if more people find out. We let something slip and word of this gets back to Rose and Scorpius.”  
James protested. “Hey, hey, I’m sure these people can be trusted. They provided these snacks, so in my book, they’re ok. They’d never blow our cover, right Hugo?” Hugo nodded eagerly. “Alright then. Let’s proceed with this meeting.”  
Lily shot James a slightly annoyed look, but by then the rest of her family had arrived, and it was best not to start a scene. She reminded herself that James could not hijack this project, and that her revenge was already taking shape. She simply smiled and agreed. After all, she was still surprised he wanted to take part in this match-making affair. It would make the entire situation trickier, for everyone had to be extra careful in the plan making, since James could not know Rose and Scorpius were growing closer planning his downfall. Everyone involved knew except him and Fred, since Fred was sure to tell James. In Lily’s mind, the stakes were very high.  
“Okay guys, here’s the plan: Rose and Scorpius are engaged in a faux plan, where they will begin to grow closer. I assume you all recall the specifics from yesterday?” James shook his head. “Oh, right, you were busy tutoring. Basically we met with Rose and Scorpius yesterday and told them they were in charge of planning Al’s birthday party, since they’re both his best friends. Caught up? Good. Phase two is to get someone to flirt with Rose. He’ll begin to take up the time she would usually spend with Scorpius, and he’ll begin to miss her. Phase 3 is to stage a dramatic falling out between Rose and said suitor, where Scorpius will come to her defense. They’ll become closer once more, and eventually end up dating. You’re all here because your task is to act like my eyes and ears, and to make sure this plan goes without a hitch. Got it?”  
Everyone nodded in agreement. James rolled his eyes, and Lily let out a sharp, “What?”  
“Do you seriously think this will work? It sounds like a plan crafted by a romantically inexperienced 14-year-old. Oh wait…”  
Lily huffed. “If you think it’s such an idiotic plan, then why are you here?”  
James shot her his best smile. “To see you fail, little sister. You can’t meddle with people’s emotions. That’s just something no one has control over. But, I enjoy a good show, so continue.”  
Lily smiled tightly, and faced her tense family. They were all waiting for her to lose her cool. Instead, she turned calmly and asked, “Any questions?”  
Albus raised his hand. “Uh, does anyone want to trade chocolate frog cards? I got Harry Potter again…”  
The hall was filled with groans as the family got up and left.


End file.
